Paper cutter



w. WILKOFF PAPER CUTTER Sept. 2, 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 'Filed Feb. 8, 1949 Way/7M L. M; Ara/=7;

Sept. 2, 1952 w. L. WILKOFF 7 PAPER CUTTER I Filed Feb. 8, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 7 as W Patented Sept. 2, 1952 @UNIT'ED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE aeoaon 1 PAPER CUTTER William -L. Wilkoff, Youngstown, Ohio Application February 8, 19 49, Serial No. 75,259

8 Claims. (cr me-s4) This inven ion relates, to paper cutters and aims generally to improve paper cutters or the wire blade type! t 1 A primary object or this; invention is the provision of a paper cutter of'the wire blade type whereby-papermay be easily andquickly cutto a reduiredsizewith a minimum, of wastage.

Another-object of, the invention is the D of a papercutterwhieh is simpleyin construction, easyto operate,v andzhl hly effective in cutting a sheetof paper or the like to a required size.

ill n ther o ject of the invention is thel'provision of awiresbladepaper cutter which :is particularly adapted f r theshearins of sensitized printing paper fed from suitable dispensing rolls or the like andused; inthemaking of blue prints and white prints.

fur-therobject of the invention is the provision-t apap rcut erhaving a wire: blade cutting element adapted to shear a sheet of paper alon a-predetermined straightline to thereby obtain a s v r d sheet of a pr determined required size.

A still further object of the invention is'the provision of a paper cutterdesigned to facilitate feeding a desired length of paper from a dispenser roll, positioning the paper according to the size desired to be severed, clamping the paper adiw cent the line of intended shearing and clearly sh ar ng the paper along the intended shearin 11139 t i Still another object of the invention is th-e:p., o-

vision, of a wirelblade paper cutter which may be mounted on a eabinet,v-table .or'other suitable support. 1 l i v A further object of the, invention is the prevision -of a paper cutter which will simultaneously a plurality of sheets of paper or the like to the same or different sizes.

. These and other objects andadvantages of the inyention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating. and describing v ajl oreferred embodiment of, the invention.

In the drawings-.- I n Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved paper cutter of this invention with one ofthe blade guides in raised position;

Fig. 2 is a planview of the paper cutter;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view takenon the line 3-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on'the line (5-4 ofFig. 2; i

Fig; 5" is an enlarged cross-sectionalyiewtaken on the 1ine5'5 of Fig; 2; and; V r 6- is a partial cross-sectional viewsimilar v 2 v I v: p to. Fig. 3ishowing a modified form of the invention. ReferrlnghQW to the drawings, the improved paper cutter of this invention preferably comprises a base portion I0 which may be positioned on a table. or like supporting structure but, as shown, is preferably embodiedinl a cabinet orlike structure H providedwith drawers l2 for storing prints and the like. The base portion I0 is designed to. receive paper from dispenser boxes lfi'and- M and to support it during the cutting operation hereinafter described. The dispenserboxes l3 and M are preferably embodied in a unitary structure comprising-' a semi-cylindrical member l5 hingedly connected to thebase portion t0 by the hinges l5 and new ing ends I 6 and partitions I'll Rolls ofpape'r l8; such asxsensitized printing paper or the like, are suitably confined and supported in the dis penser boxes l3 and I4 so thatth'eends thereof may he pulled outwardly from the dispenser boxes under a protecting ifl'ange- IS. The protecting flange 1'9 forms a'forward extension of the's'e'micylindrical member t5 1 and prevents tearing" or otherdamage to the paperas' it is being pulled from the dispenser'aiboxes. Cutouts 19 in the flange l9 facilitategrasping the paper so that "it may be readily pulled from the dispenser; Paper from the dispenser boxes 13 and M is pulled outwardly over wire blade cutters ZH-a'n'd ZiPof-fine piano wire or the like and thence across the top surface of the base portion it] asshown ill-Fig. l. The wire blade cutters 2i] and 20 are normally positioned in a groove :2! extending across the haseportion i0. and are maintained under tensiontherein by having their adjacent ends connected to:.the"loop 22 of the screw 22 andxtheir opposite endsconnected to the springs 23 and 241., The screw 22 is secured'ina notch 25.1ooatcd, centrally of theba-se portion 10 and the: springs Hand 24- are securedin notches 26 and located adjacent opposite edges of the base portionlifi-as shown in Fig 3'. Thus, the wire blade cutter 2ilnormally underlies a strip of paper-pulled'from the. dispenser box [3 and the wire blacle cutter 20 normally underlies astrip" of-paper pulled from the dispenser box l'4. The-wire hladecutters 2Eand 2i! may be'pull'ed upwardly from the groove 24 to sever'the paper thereabove by runners 2B and 29 having upperhandle portions 39 and: 3-! and lower wire-receiv ing portions 32 and 33 provided with apertures 34 and 3.5 throughwhich the wire blade cutters 2,0 and ZIP pass. The. runners .28: and 29 ares-now mally seated in seats 36 and 31' attached to thebase portion. Ill and positioned between the strips of paper so as not to interfere therewith when they are pulled outwardly across the base portion It]. The seats 36 and 31 are preferably shaped to facilitate entry of the runners 28 and 29 thereinto and to accurately seat the runners so that the openings 34 and 35 therethrough coincide with the wire blade cutters 20 and 20 in their normal positions in the groove 2|. For this purpose the lower portions of the seats 36 and 3'! are desirably bevelled as shown at 38 and 39 for cooperation with the correspondingly shaped projections 40 and 4| on the runners 28 and 29. Thus the runners 28 and 29 are readily positioned in their seats 36 and 31 and quickly guided into seated position by the construction above described. v

An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of wire guides 42 and 43 which serve to hold the strips of paper in position during the cutting operation and insure cutting along a predetermined straight line. The wire uides 42 and 43 are hinged at 44 and 45 to opposite sides of the base portion In and have adjacent handles 46 and 4'! at their meeting edges. The wire guides 42 and 43 are provided with elongated openings 48 and 49 having inwardly converging sides 50 and 5! which terminate in elongated slits 52 and 53. The slits 52 and 53 are normally positioned directly above the Wire blade cutters 20 and 20 and are just wide enough to permit passage of the wire blade cutters upwardly therethrough.

The wire guides 42 and 43 are preferably formed of two strips of material held in adjacent relationship to form the openings 48 and 49 and slits 52-and 53 by the hinges 44 and 45 and the handles 46 and 41. Alternatively the wire guides 42 and 43 may be made of a single piece of material with the openings '48 and 49 formed therein in any desired manner.

In orderthat the wire guides 42 and 43 may be swung upwardly without unseating the runners 2,8 and 29, openings 54 and 55 are formed in the guides adjacent the handles 46 and 41,'the openlugs 54 and 55 being of a size to snugly engage the edges of the seats 36 and 37 and permit the runners to pass therethrough.

In the operation of the device the wire guides 42 and 43 are swung upwardly to permit the paper to be grasped and pulled outwardly over the wire blade cutters 2D and 20 and the base I portion In until the desired lengths of paper, as indicated by the scales 5B, 5'! and 58 are obtained. The wire guides 42 and 43 are then swung downwardly into'position, resting on the strips of paper, and the paper is ready to shear. The operator then lifts the runners 28 and 29 from their seats 36 and 31 thereby pulling the wire blade cutters 29 and 29 from the groove 2| up wardly through the paper and the elongated slits 52 and 53 to shear the paper. The process is completed by pulling up and across on the runners until the wire is completely visible along the openings 48 and 49. At this point the paper is completely severed and the runners 28 and 29 are returned to their seats. Simultaneously therewith the wire blade cutters 20 and 20 are returned to the groove 2| in the base portion ID by the pullof the springs 23 and 24, the sloping sides of the openings 48 and 49 guiding the wire bladecutters in their return movement.

' Although the operation of the device has been described in connection with the cutting of two strips of paper, it will be apparent, of course, that it"may be used to out only one strip of paper. Thus, where two different, kinds of paper are being used it is possible to selectively cut one or the other to a required size.

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 is designed to simultaneously out two strips of paper by a single manipulation of the wire blade cutter or to selectively cut one or the other of the two strips of material. In this form of the invention a single wire blade cutter 60 is suspended from the springs 23 and 24 and is adapted to be actuated. by a single'runner 6| similar to the runners 28 and 29, hereinbefore described, and having an opening 62 to receive the wire blade cutter 60.

The operation of the device of Fig. 6 is similar tonthat above described except that when the strips of paper are in position to be cut, it is merely necessary to lift the single runner 6| from its seat and pull it upwardly and across to the right from its seated position of Fig. 6. When the wire is completely Visible along the openings 48 and 49 the cut is complete and the runners! may be returned to its seat.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a verysimple and highly effective device for feeding and cutting a piece of paper to' a predetermined size. In the tandem ar-' rangement illustrated and described it is possible to feed a plurality of rolls of the same or diirerent material and to simultaneously cut them to the same or difierent sizes. If desired either one of the rolls may be fed and cut to the desired size independently of the other.

Although the constructions shown and described are preferred, many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, in the device of Figs. 1 to 5 the two wire blade cutters 20 and 20 may be replaced by a single wire blade cutter which is restrained adjacent its central portion bypassing through the loop 22 of the screw 22. This'type of device may be operated the same as the device of Figs. 1 to 5 with similar results.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not intend to be limited to the precise details thereof as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim: g

l. A paper cutter of the wire blade type comprising a base member adapted to support a. strip of paper thereon in position to be out, a groove in said base member, a wire positioned in said groove and maintained under tension therein by spring means, a guide for said wire adapted to rest on a strip of paper on said base to hold it in position during the cutting operation and having an elongated opening of relatively narrow width therein positioned above said wire, and runner means for pulling said wire upwardly through a strip of paper positioned on said base and through said elongated opening to sever the paper along a predetermined line.

2. A paper cutter'of the wire blade type comprising an elongated base member having a groove therein, a wire positioned in said groove, means for yieldably maintaining said wire under tension, a guide member for said wire adapted to be positioned on a strip of paper on said base member to hold it in position during the cutting operation and having an elongated relatively narrow opening therein positioned above said wire, and runner means slidably receiving said wire and movable outwardly from said base member for pulling the wire upwardly through the strip of paper positioned on said base and through the opening of said guide member to cut the paper along a predetermined line.

3. A paper cutter as set forth in claim 2 including means for feeding paper to be cut from a roll of paper positioned adjacent said base member, a dispenser box for said roll, a lip on said dispenser box under which the paper from said roll is fed, said lip having notched openings therein adapted to facilitate grasping the paper to pull it from the roll.

4. A paper cutter as set forth in claim 3 including scale means on said base for measuring the size of paper to be cut.

5. A paper cutter of the wire blade type comprising a base member having a groove therein, a wire blade cutter positioned in said groove, means for maintaining said wire blade cutter under tension, restraining means for holding the mid-portion of said wire blade cutter in said groove, guide members adapted to rest on strips of paper on said base member and having elongated openings therein positioned above said wire blade cutter, runners connected with said wire blade cutter on opposite sides of said restraining means and adapted to be selectively moved upwardly to pull said wire blade cutter through the openings in said guide members to cut a plurality of strips of paper positioned on said base.

6. A paper cutter of the wire blade type comprising a base member having a groove therein, a wire blade cutter positioned in said groove, means for maintaining said wire blade cutter under tension, guide members adapted to rest on strips of paper on said base member and having elongated openings therein positioned above said wire blade cutter, said guide members being hinged to said base member whereby they may be raised to permit individual strips of paper to be fed thereunder above said wire blade cutter, and a runner connected with said wire blade cutter and adapted to be moved to pull said wire blade cutter upwardly through the openings in said guide members to cut strips of paper positioned on said base.

7. A paper cutter as set forth in claim 6 including a seat for said runner.

8. A paper cutter as set forth in claim 7 including an opening in one of said guide members for receiving said runner.

' WILLIAM L. WILKOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,197,553 Schumacher Sept. 5, 1916 1,267,055 Catherat May 21, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 510,386 Germany Apr. 4, 1928 338,769 Germany Feb. 9, 1916 239,735 Germany July 20, 1910 612,747 France Oct. 29, 1926 

